Coming into uni holidays I am planning on doing some longer rides to make use of my days off. I am looking for suggestions on longer day trips (around 150km avg) preferably loops but that isn't a deal breaker. I would rather safer routes as I will more than likely be riding solo so roads like beach rd or sealed bike paths are ok but want to avoid narrow busy roads like warrigal rd or lower dandenong road for example. I live in Elsternwick so can head any direction from there. Currently I am thinking out to sorrento or arthurs seat and back and also looking at doing yarra trail to ringwood, eastlink trail to frankston (is it possible??) and back. Does anyone have any other good distant ride suggestions?

One of my favourites is down the coast to Rosebud, left on Boneo Rd, left on the Flinders Red Hill Rd, right and then left at Red Hill, down the hill to the Mornington Highway then back to Melbourne. Enjoy! It'd be nice to have the time!Andrew

While living in St Kilda, and then later in Parkdale, I'd ride to Sorrento and back, having lunch at a cafe in Sorrento. That's quite a nice return trip. If I felt energetic, I'd take the side trip up to Arthurs Seat on the way there or back.

As for Yarra Trail to Ringwood, a slightly different alternative to that is Yarra Trail to Burke Rd, then turn onto the Koonung Creek Trail and follow that to Ringwood. In my opinion, the Koonung Creek Trail is one of the best in Melbourne, because it has (a) mostly smooth surface, (b) only 2 road crossings between its start at Burke Rd and the end in Ringwood and (c) some pretty nice scenery.

Thanks for the tips guys, I will def take a look at that koonung creek trail. Where does the eastlink trail end out south? and can you take a safe route for the remainder to Frankston?What's the riding like out to Ballarat? I thought that it might be a bit dangerous in sections or is the a shoulder you can take the entire way?

clackers wrote:To get closer to your 150 km mark, can I suggest rides out to Emerald, Yarra Glen, Whittlesea, Sunbury and even Geelong?

Im open to suggestions What's the safest way to get to Geelong by bike from south east melb?I was thinking I could do Yarra trail to the Dandenongs, ride the crucifix and then home again aswell (that would be a big day! )

eastlink bitumen trail ends at or just after cheltenham road. I have taken eastlink to cheltenham rd then ridden that and turned left at springvale rd all the way to nepean hwy. There is a bike lane all the way

Must say I would head to for Mt Dandy from Ringwood, some great hills, descents and scenery before turning around and heading home, plenty of opportunities to rack up some K's

YouAgainstMe wrote:What's the safest way to get to Geelong by bike from south east melb?

For you, probably Bay Trail, Federation Trail then either the Freeway (very wide shoulder) or backroads.

Or for variety, start from Werribee railway station, go to Geelong then to Queenscliff and back. Think of it as Around The Bay Training.

Back when I used to live in St Kilda, I rode to Geelong once via this route (I've skipped a few of the minor connecting roads for clarity of description): Beaconsfield Pde, Clarendon St, over the Yarra, Footscray Rd, Whitehall St, Douglas Pde, Kororoit Ck Rd, Millers Rd, Queen St, Point Cook Rd, Sneydes Rd, Bulban Rd, Edgars Rd, You Yangs Rd, Farrars Rd, Branch Rd (with detour to check out the You Yangs, or at least the sealed road bit), Forest Rd Nth then Sth, Bellarine Hwy, ferry, then from Sorrento I rode the coast roads back to St Kilda.

OK, granted, this is more than just the Geelong route, but it was great fun, particularly since it was on a Saturday in Feb 2010 and not the official Around The Bay In A Day . Anyway, perhaps the OP could consider the Melbourne to Geelong route I just outlined, because it avoids the main roads and is mostly quiet.

This is 156k's starting from Mordialloc. You can take a few alternatives like just follow Neapean Hwy at Mornington rather than the Esplanade for a safer way and rather than go down Arthur's Seat just at the top continue along Purves rd to Browns rd and onto Boneo rd.

yarravalleyplodder wrote:eastlink bitumen trail ends at or just after cheltenham road. I have taken eastlink to cheltenham rd then ridden that and turned left at springvale rd all the way to nepean hwy.

How do you find the traffic along that section of springvale road? I am very curious to know. Its been a long time since I have done a big ride and I'm going to build up to it again. For my route that I will end up doing, it will be an 85km lap.

There are couple of stretches that are a little precarious. Like through Springvale itself, and through some other areas where there road (and lanes seemingly) narrow with no service lanes or bike lanes to escape into. But mostly no problems... Particularly once you pass Springvale south bound toward the beach. There's a dedicated (red colored) bus lane which is great for riding 2 abreast safely in.

yarravalleyplodder wrote:eastlink bitumen trail ends at or just after cheltenham road. I have taken eastlink to cheltenham rd then ridden that and turned left at springvale rd all the way to nepean hwy.

How do you find the traffic along that section of springvale road?

I've ridden the extension of the Eastlink trail after Cheltenham rd a few times - think though some is gravel and I ride a CX with sometimes 28mm tyres and sometimes my good road wheels with 25mm tyres its not the sort of gravel trail that should really cause any concern unless you have a couple of thousand dollars worth of carbon rims Think it is officially Dandenong Creek trail (south) and continues past the rowing centre at Patterson lakes and then from Carrum there is a hard to find start of trail that runs beside a drain behind a golf course to Mordialloc to join the Beach rdnot done it as a complete loop yet - hoped might be a Fathers Day treat but didn't work but does mean can ride on trails in a big loop around Beach Rd / Capital / Yarra / Koonung / East Link around 150km+ all traffic free

Just joined forum and looking forward to getting some ideas for good long rides - so thanks for the above

antigee wrote:I've ridden the extension of the Eastlink trail after Cheltenham rd a few times - think though some is gravel and I ride a CX with sometimes 28mm tyres and sometimes my good road wheels with 25mm tyres its not the sort of gravel trail that should really cause any concern unless you have a couple of thousand dollars worth of carbon rims

I've just started riding again and this is my main route atm as I am avoiding the road. I see lots of skinny tyres on along the way, that being said I think they poor some new gravel last week or so and some parts felt very slippery as it was very loose...

From currum you can jump onto the Peninsula Trail to Seaford and into Frankston as well